Media more positive about red meat and health

Media coverage of red meat has become more positive since the launch of the ‘meat and health’ campaign 18 months ago.

An audit of press coverage, carried out when the campaign was first launched, revealed that there were five negatives to every one positive, but a more recent review has shown that there are now 5.5 positives to every 3.5 negatives.

Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) health and education manager Nicola Wilde said: “This is a fantastic result and will help to change perceptions of red meat generally.

“Far too often, red meat was being demonised unfairly and there was a danger consumers would be swayed by it. Over the last 18 months we have spoken to 90 key opinion-forming journalists and scientists.

“Some of the change can also be attributed to sending out Meat Advisory Panel (MAP) fact sheets to those journalists who are identified as being ‘off beam’ in terms of giving the correct scientific facts. It has just been a case of never giving up.”

The meat and health campaign, which is backed by Eblex, Bpex and HCC, provides independent and objective information about red meat’s role in a healthy diet on its website www.meatandhealth.com. The advice is provided by MAP, a group of healthcare professionals, scientists and researchers, who provide independent and objective information about red meat and its role as part of a healthy, balanced diet.